< Job 14 >
1 For a mortal born of a woman [is] short lived, and full of wrath.
Man, that is born of a woman, Is of few days, and full of trouble.
2 Or he falls like a flower that has bloomed; and he departs like a shadow, and cannot continue.
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: He fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.
3 Hast thou not taken account even of him, and caused him to enter into judgment before thee?
And dost thou open thine eyes upon such a one, And bringest me into judgment with thee?
4 For who shall be pure from uncleanness? not even one;
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.
5 if even his life should be [but] one day upon the earth: and his months are numbered by him: thou hast appointed [him] for a time, and he shall by no means exceed [it].
Seeing his days are determined, The number of his months is with thee, And thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
6 Depart from him, that he may be quiet, and take pleasure in his life, [though] as a hireling.
Look away from him, that he may rest, Till he shall accomplish, as a hireling, his day.
7 For there is hope for a tree, even if it should be cut down, [that] it shall blossom again, and its branch shall not fail.
For there is hope of a tree, If it be cut down, that it will sprout again, And that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
8 For though its root should grow old in the earth, and its stem die in the rock;
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, And the stock thereof die in the ground;
9 it will blossom from the scent of water, and will produce a crop, as one newly planted.
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, And put forth boughs like a plant.
10 But a man that has died is utterly gone; and when a mortal has fallen, he is no more.
But man dieth, and is laid low: Yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
11 For the sea wastes in [length of] time, and a river fails and is dried up.
[As] the waters fail from the sea, And the river wasteth and drieth up;
12 And man that has lain down [in death] shall certainly not rise again till the heaven be dissolved, and they shall not awake from their sleep.
So man lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep.
13 For oh that thou hadst kept me in the grave, and hadst hidden me until thy wrath should cease, and thou shouldest set me a time in which thou wouldest remember me! (Sheol )
Oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheol, That thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, That thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! (Sheol )
14 For if a man should die, shall he live [again], having accomplished the days of his life? I will wait till I exist again?
If a man die, shall he live [again]? All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should come.
15 Then shalt thou call, and I will hearken to thee: but do not thou reject the work of thine hands.
Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee: Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands.
16 But thou hast numbered my devices: and not one of my sins shall escape thee?
But now thou numberest my steps: Dost thou not watch over my sin?
17 An thou hast sealed up my transgressions in a bag, and marked if I have been guilty of any transgression unawares.
My transgression is sealed up in a bag, And thou fastenest up mine iniquity.
18 And verily a mountain falling will utterly be destroyed, and a rock shall be worn out of its place.
But the mountain falling cometh to nought; And the rock is removed out of its place;
19 The waters wear the stones, and waters falling headlong [overflow] a heap of the earth: and thou destroyest the hope of man.
The waters wear the stones; The overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth: So thou destroyest the hope of man.
20 Thou drivest him to an end, and he is gone: thou settest thy face against him, and sendest him away;
Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.
21 and though his children be multiplied, he knows [it] not; and if they be few, he is not aware.
His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; And they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
22 But his flesh is in pain, and his soul mourns.
But his flesh upon him hath pain, And his soul within him mourneth.